DE 10 2007 039 445 A1 discloses a method for displaying information by a display which is mounted in a motor vehicle, and a display device for a motor vehicle. In the method described in this document, there is a changeover from a display state into a control state if it has been detected that an object is approaching an input device. The display state is characterized, in particular, by the fact that no control buttons assigned to a control step are displayed. In contrast, in the control state such control buttons are displayed.